Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung (front, left) waves during a meeting with former liberal President Moon Jae-in at Moon’s residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province on Thursday. (Yonhap) Key figures within the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, particularly those affiliated with former President Moon Jae-in, criticized the party’s heavy reliance on its leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, saying it contributed to declining support from the public.
This follows Lee’s visit to former President Moon’s residence in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday afternoon. The outcome of the meeting — Lee’s first visit in four months after being reelected as party leader in September — had yet to be made public as of press time.
On Wednesday morning, Kim Kyoung-soo, a former governor of South Gyeongsang Province who is considered a close ally of Moon, publicly urged the party to break away from its current structure, which he described as overly centered on Lee’s leadership.
“The Democratic Party must abandon the painful label of a one-man system and privatization of the party,” Kim wrote in a Facebook post. “We must start changing the party’s political culture now. … The only way forward is to build a broader, more inclusive Democratic Party,” he added.
Widely seen as a former close confidant of Moon, Kim was a key figure in Moon’s presidential campaign.
He lost his seat as the governor of South Gyeongsang Province in 2021 after being convicted of involvement in an online opinion manipulation scandal. The top court verdict barred him from holding public office until April 2028.
His eligibility for the presidential election has since been restored after a presidential pardon in August, and speculation has grown that he could challenge Lee’s dominance within the party and emerge as a potential contender in the next presidential race.
Kim called on Lee to issue a sincere apology to those who distanced themselves from the party following the last presidential election.
“Many people have turned away in disgrace after the 2022 presidential election, the local elections and the general election process,” he continued. “These are people who are willing to return and support us if only the minimal conditions for unity are met. We must sincerely apologize and make it possible for them to come back.”
During the candidate selection process, many figures close to Moon were sidelined, while allies of Lee secured key nominations. The result was a Democratic Party dominated by Lee’s supporters, leaving former pro-Moon figures with less influence.
Kim’s remarks came in line with criticisms of Lee’s leadership from within the party, which has been a point of contention amid declining public support.
According to a survey by Korea Research International, the Democratic Party’s approval rating stood at 44 percent, only slightly above that of the ruling People Power Party, which garnered 41 percent support. This marks a 4 percentage point decline for the Democratic Party compared to early January, while the ruling party saw a 12 percentage point increase. Other pollsters have reported similar trends, reflecting the Democratic Party’s struggle to maintain public support.
Kim Dong-yeon, the former economy minister under Moon and now governor of Gyeonggi Province, echoed similar sentiments, saying the party’s crisis stems from a loss of credibility.
“The Democratic Party must ask itself whether it is truly capable of overcoming this crisis and proving itself as a party capable of governance,” Kim said in a press briefing on Friday. “The party is facing a trust crisis, and public support is slipping away. As a member of the Democratic Party, I sincerely apologize to the people.”
Former presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok also voiced concerns, stating that the party’s current leadership style is stifling internal democracy.
“The Democratic Party today is failing to gain the public’s trust because it disregards dialogue and compromise while fixating solely on Lee Jae-myung,” Im wrote on his Facebook account on Jan. 21.
Meanwhile, Lee’s legal troubles cast a shadow over his political future. The appellate court overseeing his election law violation case has scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 26, with a verdict expected as early as March.
Lee was previously sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in November. If the appeals court upholds this ruling, he risks losing his eligibility to run in the next presidential election.